Somalia problems - Myrrh

Just so you know.  For a year or so I've been hearing rumors of problems with products from Somalia.  Political unrest, primarily, and more climate problems.

This week I was told by one of my suppliers (we had a LOT of artisan distilled unusual oils on order) that they can't ship.  DHL, the international shipper shut down their operations in Somalia, and my distiller friend can't export his products.  He is frantically investigating alternatives.  Those who import the resins and distill in Europe or the USA, I am told, export the heavier and more bulky raw resins by ship.  Up the Gulf of Aden,  through the Mediterranean,  to France, out out through the Gibraltar straits to the United Kingdom or the US.

But the distiller does not want to ship his oils by sea.  He wants them to fly,  where they will be handled with greater care and, of course, arrive much more quickly.

So,  we wait for the arrival of large quantities of our new, Somalian Frankincense specimens.

Myrrh.   What is so complicated about Myrrh?

Our Myrrh, like our Frankincense Somalia, and our Cistus, comes from a distiller in France who just

Myrrh Resin

shines at distilling the resins. Myrrh is a greater challenge than some of the others.  Because the essential oil has the same specific gravity as water, when the distillate leaves the still into the condenser and the separator... it doesn't separate. Instead of floating on top (most oils) or even sinking to the bottom (clove and vetiver, etc.) the essential oil floats through out the hydrosol, making it a challenge to separate.

And cleaning the still?  a nightmare! You know how sticky Myrrh can be, how it glues shut your little bottle cap? Can you imagine all that sticky, tacky essential oil coating your still, all the joints, all the tubing? Yes, Myrrh has its challenges and when one finds a good distiller, one treasures him and his product.

Late this summer our supply of myrrh was running low. I called my distiller's USA branch and said "I need some more Myrrh, please." And she suggested sending me a sample. She had several lots, and I should check them out and select one. Okay, this was one oil that, in the past, I would buy without sampling, I had that much trust. the samples came. Oh dear.  they were.. pale blonde in color.. and offered only a whisper of the assertive aroma I expected. They whispered, rather than speaking out.  This won't do at all!

I called my supplier/friend. It seems that the big commercial buyers.. perfumers, fragrance houses don't like our wonderful traditional Myrrh oil because it discolors their products.  They need some pale cousin of the Myrrh that we know and love.  And in adjusting the distillation to remove the color, they evidently reduce some of the vital components. The samples were just a ghost of the Myrrh that we expected. This will never do!

And our supply continued to dwindle.  We took all bulk sizes off line.  We told our wholesale customers "No, you can't have it."  and the supply dwindled.

Finally, a phone call. "We have a batch a major commercial buyer returned, it is too dark and too "strong" for their specs."  WONDERFUL!  Yes.  She sent us a sample. YES! this is the Myrrh we've been seeking.  And, because we had so much trouble sourcing it, and because it is, after all, from Somalia, with the increasing sourcing problems that brings, I ordered lots!



It's online now, and available in bulk sizes.  Enjoy!

I'm reminded of a quote from a colleague who is also a supplier. "If this were easy, everyone would do it."  

Early Bird special - deluxe and pocket inhalers - below wholesale pricing.

Breathe Easy…Leave the Bottles at Home!

We are all on the go these days, so how do we incorporate essential oils into our busy lives?  Lugging around a bunch of glass bottles isn’t ideal.  We suggest inhalers.  They are pretty, neat (not messy), convenient and travel with ease.  

Perfect stocking stuffer or holiday gift; fits easily in a purse, travel bag, back-pack, or pants pocket.   

Deluxe Personal

Decorative small pocket aromatherapy inhalers are great for purse or pocket, to hold your favorite oil or blend. When you need the effects, but don't want to wear the scent, this is your solution.

We offer two types of decorative pocket inhalers: pocket refillable or personal (which is sealed and meant for one specific use/oil/or blend). Christi thinks they both look like fancy lipstick holders. The sealed Personal inhalers are available in Silver, Pewter, Magenta, Green, Red and Black while supplies last.  If we run out of a color, we reserve the right to substitute.

Smelling salts in the making.

Create your own “smelling salts” with the pocket refillable inhalers. Inside the handsome case is a small glass vial. Fill with sea salt (for smelling salts) or a twist of a cotton ball, and saturate with your favorite essential oil or blend. When it's time to change to a different oil, just empty, wash with alcohol to remove all trace of the oil, and refill.   They are all bright and pretty. (You may request a color in comments at check-out but we reserve the right to make the selection.)

 Available in Red, Cobalt Blue, Magenta, Aqua Blue, and Lavender.

Pocket Refillables

Christi prefers the pretty little personal inhalers for Blue Tansy, which she regularly reaches for due to allergies. These contain a glass vial, stuffed with cotton to absorb the oils. Use the included tiny dropper to add your chosen oil or blend through the holes at the top.

Some of favorite ways to use our inhalers according to our clients: Sine Ease synergy for fall sinus drainage; as we mentioned above, some allergy sufferers use our Blue Tansy Oil; a pregnant mommy reports using our Happy Morning Synergy for nausea; and lots of folks use as a method to keep Flu Foil on hand over the Winter months.  Try as we may, we've never been able to make them leak. Available in Green, Light Silver, Black, Burgundy, Gold, Lavender, Pewter Blue, Red, and Magenta. 3-1/8 inches long.

Note:  Educator and author Madeleine Kerkhof-Knapp Hayes says Geranium in an inhaler can be helpful for ear infections.  (Did you know that if an oil is inhaled through the mouth, not the nose, that it goes directly to the inner ear and can help combat both infection and pain?  Neither did I!)

Still not sure what to fill the inhaler with? See our lists of Healing Blends and Synergies on our Aromatherapy Blends and Products page.

This week only we are offering all our “pretty” inhalers at a greatly reduced price:  Buy a single inhaler for $5.00 or purchase 3 inhalers for $12.00.  (You may request  preferred colors in comments, if buying the set, but we reserve the right to make the color selections since some colors are in short supply.)  No other discounts (INCLUDING FREE SHIPPING)  may apply to these lower than wholesale prices. NOTE, the three for $12.00 are at the bottom of the dropdown selection for each inhaler.

Sustainable Spikenard

I have been reading a lot recently about the lack of sustainable Spikenard.  We know Nardostachys

Spikenard Roots

jatamansi is on the CITES list of endangered plants, and we are concerned about our sourcing.

I have had long discussions with our Nepalese supplier about the issue of sustainability.

Our Spikenard comes from an area high in the Himalayas. The producer is setting up 2 distillation units in very remote parts of Nepal. This area was badly hit by the earthquake of 2015. This six minute video shows the terrain, the villages and villagers.

After watching the video, I asked, "Based on the video,  the village that you are working with is just now starting to harvest the abundance that surrounds them.  But how can you or do you prevent over harvesting? This is a question that I often see debated, and I would like to be able to give those who ask your answer to it."

And the answer came.  It makes sense to me, and I hope will for our clients and friends, as well.
   

Dear Marge,

Namaste!

Thank you so much for your compliments on the youtube video.

I totally understand your concerns regarding the sustainability of Spikenard. It is true that the material has been over harvested and most of the time it is being smuggled to India.

But in our case it is very different. Below are the basic 5 points why we are different.

1.       We do not buy raw material with vendors, we involve communities. We work with the communities and they are aware of the disasters of over harvesting. They protect their asset without letting other enter their territory.

2.      We only distill about 100 KG oil which is only 25% of our allotted amount from the government.

3.      We use most advance distillation equipment that utilizes only 15% of firewood compared to other distillation and has 20% more yield on the oil recovery.

4.      We conduct trainings and workshops on good harvesting practices and sustainability of herbs in the community.

5.       We have invested so much on the equipment as they were imported and airlifted to the site, therefore we plan to work on the facility for more than 20 years. Without herbs and its sustainability we will lose our business. We are concerned.

 I

I loved the answers I was given, and hope you will, as well. And, for another video, taken three years earlier, just an overview of the beauties of Nepal, watch here.

Enjoy!   (Of course you may read more about, and purchase, our Spikenard Essential Oil on our website.

Early Bird - BLING!

Bling!  AKA Wearable Aromatherapy Jewelry

Save 12% with Promo Code: earlybird

Who doesn't love to sport a little bling now and then? Wearable aromatherapy jewelry comes in all shapes and sizes these days for a wide variety of budgets.  Another gem for the aromatherapy lover

on your list or as a treat for yourself.

My favorites are our lampwork artisan aromatherapy vessels.  Each one is uniquely crafted and like snowflakes, no two are alike! These beauties are glass and come in slightly different styles: Murano, Teardrop, and Round.  We have all colors of the rainbow, it seems, including: Aquamarine, Green, Pink, Red, Blue, Brown, Tiger's Eye (Marge's favorite), Purple, Black, Mauve, Clear with delicately painted Roses, and multicolored swirls of Autumn, blues and greens, and more. Definitely colorful and distinctive.  As a bonus, packaged for gift giving.  Each comes with a silk corded necklace, replacement cork, and mini pipette.

At a greatly reduced price, we have a handful of our little Pom-Pom aromatherapy lockets left in

stock.  Made of a metal alloy that is nickel-free, those of us at Nature's Gift who have problems wearing non-sterling metal jewelry have found these completely tolerable to wear.  Includes a packet of several brightly colored pom-poms to match your outfit or mood.  Simply add a few drops of your favorite essential oil or blend, pop it into the locket, and face the day with your best-loved aromatic.

A few easy recipes or single essential oil ideas for these "passive" aromatherapy diffusers:

-For uplifting, add Spearmint and Orange

-For anxiety, add Neroli, Petitgrian bigarade, or our Reunité Synergy (on sale this month!)

-For immune, germ-busting, add a combination Ravensara, Clove Bud, Eucalyptus, or Lemon Myrtle

-For grounding, add Vetiver Haiti

-For clarity/focus, add Rosemary, Peppermint, or Lemon (or our Focus blend)

-For insect barrier, add a combination of Lemon Tea Tree, Patchouli, and Cedarwood

-For well-being, add Rose, Bergamot or Grapefruit

Take 12% off our aromatherapy bling! (jewelry) using promo code "earlybird" .  At checkout, simply enter the code: earlybird and click apply for savings.

See more pictures and all eligible items here.

Early Bird - Aroma 2 Go

Early Bird Christmas Special…12% off our Nifty Aroma 2 Go USB diffusers & Car Scenter diffusers

With just 11 weeks till Christmas, what do you get for the gadget geek/techie on your list?  Searching for an affordable stocking stuffer?  Our “Aroma to Go: USB diffuser,” comes to mind.  We added   We use it at our desk and with our laptop, too!

these last year after sampling some “cheap” versions; we thought it was a great idea but not executed the best, that is, until we came across this well-built USB diffuser.

We’ve received excellent feedback from a variety of folks who are enjoying using the Aroma 2 Go USB diffusers.  Dr. Liana Carbon, who messaged us on Facebook: “Just wanted to tell you how very much I am LOVING my new USB diffuser! I bought the extra refills, and have them filled with different EO blends so I can swap out according to my needs and moods. What a godsend for those of us on the computer for many hours! BRILLIANT invention!”

Easy to use, it looks like a fancy flash drive, but plugs directly into your USB port.  Holds about a ml of essential oil or synergy blend and is perfect for an at-home or work office space.  You can pipette the oil into the wick easily, then plug in and go. 

We would’ve loved one of these in college…up studying late, add Focus to the diffuser, and extend study time on those late nights…no coffee required.  (Although you could add Coffee Co2!)  Any oil or blend for your mood or physical needs will work.  We’ve diffused Eucalyptus and Ravintsara in the winter months for stuffy noses.  The sky’s the limit!

Comes with a wick and one refill packet.  Extra refill packets can be purchased to use various/different oil combinations.  Available in white or black.  Nifty little invention.  Plug and inhale! 

Travels well, too. Marge took hers to the AIA convention last year and everyone else wanted one after they experienced the USB diffuser at the Nature’s Gift booth. 

Another great "travel" diffuser for someone on the go is our Car Scenter diffuser.  It plugs into the dashboard (cell charger/cigarette lighter) of most cars and uses cellulose pads to hold the essential oil or synergy of your choice.   We suggest our Fresh Aire for uplifting, Focus to increase mental alertness, or Citrus Smile synergies for energizing and deodorizing. A perfect solution for long trips or commuting. Comes with five cellulose pads and refills are available.  We spend so much time in our cars these days and the Car Scenter is the ideal travel companion.